Sydney Swans change two words to team song to be more inclusive

The Sydney Swans have made an edit to the team song they’ve been using since the 1960s in an effort to be more inclusive.

Australia is no longer “young and free” and the Sydney Swans no longer have any “sons”.

The AFL club is getting with the times by changing two words in the club song players belt out after a victory.

The Swans’ verse, which was adopted in 1961 and is an adaptation of the second verse of the University of Notre Dame Victory March, read:

Cheer, cheer the red and the white,

Honour the name by day and by night,

Lift that noble banner high,

Shake down the thunder from the sky

Whether the odds be great or small,

Swans will go in and win over all

While her loyal sons are marching

Onwards to victory!

But the club announced a small edit to the second to last line on Thursday.

Swans players Callum Sinclair, Lance Franklin, Sam Reid and Josh Kennedy sing the club song. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)

“We are a proud, historic and inclusive club and we are excited about our future,” a statement from the club read.

“A key part of that is the expansion of our Sydney Swans Youth Girls Academy program and looking ahead to a future AFLW team. Swans members and fans should know we are working hard towards a women’s team.

“In light of the continual evolution of our club, we have made a small but important change to our club song which is reflective of who we are and where we are going.

“The second last line of our song will now read ‘While Our Loyal Swans are marching, onwards to victory’.

“It’s an important change and one which our Sydney Swans Academy U19 side have already implemented, singing it proudly in their recent victory over Geelong.

“We look forward to members and fans singing along with our AFL team and all our academy teams in the future.”

The Sydney Swans hope to develop their women’s program, which currently includes a youth academy. Picture: John Appleyard

The Australian national anthem was recently updated to include the line “for we are one and free” instead of “for we are young and free”, resulting in an awkward blunder ahead of the Australian Open men’s final.

But some, including Indigenous boxing great Anthony Mundine, are still unhappy with the anthem.

Originally published as Sydney Swans change two words to team song to be more inclusive